Never in my life would I expect to see a food truck selling Peruvian food in Japan! |
One thing I forgot to mention on my second day in Fukuoka was at nighttime, after exploring Ohori Park, I see a mini food park set up there, with all kinds of food and handcrafts around it! I see a Filipino booth there, but what made me interested the most was this food booth handled by a Peruvian family! I saw grilled chicken or Pollo a la brasa but since I was meeting my friend up that night for dinner, I decided to have the Salchipapas or the grilled cut up sausage on top with fries and spicy sauce. I noticed that the staff were native Peruvians so I jump in and start conversing with them in Spanish, which completely shocks them! I begin to see that the chef Geraldine cooking at the car area and her family recently moved to Fukuoka and that they were adjusting to life in Fukuoka. I told them how much I loved Peruvian culture due to my boss back when I was living in US. Little did I know that one year later, I would be making it to Peru myself as well! It was short but sweet for me because I know I attract Latinos and especially Brazilians due to me being in love with their food and culture. That night, I met my Pinay friend Lyn, and start spending time with the community she has in Fukuoka. I am amazed at how long Pinays have been living in Fukuoka with people being there as long as 20 years! This city has really made a Filipino community for itself!
Sushi is always a great option wherever I go in Japan! |
So my next day in Fukuoka begins with talking to one of my roommates for the first time ever! Low and behold, I meet someone from UK, and his name is Manish! Immediately got along after I mentioned I'm from Philippines! We had lunch together at a sushi place, and got to know each other pretty quick! I love how I quick it was for me to make friends simply because I just travel on my own, and have no one else to talk to! For me, that kind of confidence came through experience! I have attempted traveling on my own many times, especially to places where English isn't the main language, and through those experiences, you learn to talk to people and develop meaningful relationships with them. It's okay if you want to travel only to places where English is the main language, but for me, I loved being able to tackle a difficult language such as Japanese, and be able to have conversations with locals, as well as be able to help out people who may struggle or find it difficult to deal with language or cultural barriers. It's a big confidence and self esteem booster from being able to make friends with people you just met, to being able to dine in, converse with locals, and use public transport on your own. I never want to stop exploring this great big world around us!